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“Christ,” Dylan said under his breath, and stood taller. He hated that his father still had the power to make his night hell, and readied himself for an uncomfortable conversation.
“Dylan!”
He turned at the breathless sound of Tiffany’s voice. She was hurrying across the ballroom floor. Her hair flew out behind her, and her long legs broke through her grass skirt with every stride. His father forgotten, he went to her.
“What’s wrong? What are you doing here?” He did a visual sweep of her face, looking for trouble, but she looked deliriouslyhappy.
“This is where I belong,” she said. “I shouldn’t have left. I’m sorry.”
“No, babe. I’m fine. Really. Don’t risk everything because of me.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck with a loving, elated look in her eyes. “I’m not risking everything. I’m risking therightthings.”
She was there, in his arms, and everything in the world felt right and wrong at the same time. He loved her with every ounce of his soul, whether she’d gone to try to sign Ramsey or not. Didn’t she know that? They could get through tonight, and anything else that was thrown their way.
“Sweet girl, this is yourlife, yourcareer. I don’t want to mess that up for you. I told you I was okay and I am. I promise.”
She smiled, a soft laugh escaping her lips. “You’remy life, Dylan. You’re myeverything. Please, please kiss me and pretend like I’m not the neurotic girl who left you half an hour ago.”
As she touched her lips to his, he felt another, darker presence, and they both turned toward his father. Anger had been his father’s constant companion for so many years, it took Dylan a moment to register the sadness glistening in his father’s deep-set eyes. It threw Dylan off, and he stumbled to find his voice.
“D-dad?” He tightened his arm around Tiffany’s waist, a protective layer against the man who had ripped apart his family. “This is my girlfriend, Tiffany Winters. Tiffany, this is my father, Gerard Bad.”
She smiled and offered a hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Gerard looked at her hand and nodded without taking it. “The pleasure is all mine, trust me.”
His voice didn’t carry the air of confidence Dylan was used to, which made him even more uncomfortable.
His dad shifted his dark eyes to Dylan, and Dylan swore he saw something he hadn’t seen in years looking back at him.Pride. He had the urge to hug the man he hadn’t embraced in too many years to count. His father’s choice, not his. After a while he’d stopped reaching out, because the denial wasn’t worth the pain. And he didn’t trust the strange impulse now, while his emotions were still reeling from everything Tiffany had said.
His father held his gaze and said, “Well done, son.” A small smile appeared, and then he nodded to Tiffany and headed for the exit.
“What just happened?” she whispered. “Did I upset him?”
“No, babe. I think that was his happy face.” Overwhelmed by everything that just happened, Dylan drew Tiffany against him, righting his upside-down world.
“Tell me again why you gave up signing Ramsey Sharpe. And please tell me you’re not going to hate me because of it tomorrow.”
She kissed him again. “I won’t hate you, Dylan. How could I hate the man who makes me happier than I’ve ever been in my life? I love you, and I belong here with you on this very special night. Now tell me you love me, and smile, because Jackson has his camera aimed right at us.”
TIFFANY CUDDLED AGAINST Dylan in the cab on the way home, inhaling his familiar, manly scent. “I’m freezing.”
He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her, heating them both up. His hand slipped beneath her grass skirt, caressing her thigh.
“Isn’t this where we began?” She giggled and nipped at his jaw, totally up for another hot cab make-out session.
“But tonight we’re not going to end up at a hospital. Tonight we’ll end up at one of our apartments.”
“Yours. I like yours better.” She sealed her lips over his again. He tasted like sweet wine and potent male. She was so full of emotions she couldn’t hold them back. “I love the way you taste. And I love your face, and your mouth. I love your mind, and I love your body. I love you so much, Dylan, I’ve turned into the girl who doodles your name in my notebook.”
“Then maybe it’s time you officially move in with me.” He’d made a few casual references to them becoming more permanent, but he’d never asked her so blatantly.
“Why would I do that? Men want what they don’t have. The minute I’m really, truly yours, you’ll get bored.”
He squeezed her thigh, his smile turning wolfish. “Do you really believe that?”
“Not one word of it.”
